It’s hard to escape the binge cycle. This cyclical pattern often proves challenging for many of us, and it can be difficult to escape from. Life is stressful as it is; we often turn to food for comfort when things are particularly tough going, but this pattern just leads to more problems. When you find yourself bingeing, again and again, try the six tips below:
First, it’s important to know what Binge Eating Disorder is. Binge Eating Disorder is a condition that is characterized by recurrent binge eating episodes without the regular use of compensatory measures such as purging. Binges commonly occur when an individual is alone and when they eat more than a typical serving of food. Second, it’s important to know what causes binge eating disorder. The most common cause is thoughts about food and body image; for others, it may be related to stress or emotional difficulties like depression or anxiety. A focus on body type, body weight or food is not always the cause.
Bingeing is common among adolescent girls and women, but men also suffer from this condition. It is also important to note that bingeing is a different eating disorder than anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.
1. Identify the Triggers That Lead to Binge Eating
The first step to reducing bingeing is identifying all the triggers that lead up to it. It can be difficult but writing them down will help you identify what situations or feelings make you want to overeat, whether they are emotional (stress), social (loneliness), or physical (fatigue). Once we identify what triggers our binge, we can come up with strategies to deal with these issues in alternate ways. Individual therapy or family therapy can help with identifying triggers or gaining an education on different treatment methods.
Identifying our triggers and having strategies for coping helps us feel more in control of the situation as opposed to just feeling out of control when it happens again. Preparation is key and learning about your own emotional experience can help you know what is going on inside of your body and why.
2. Find a Healthy Alternative
If you feel like you are going to binge eat, try to find a healthy alternative. If you feel like the binge is inevitable, try:
– Reaching out for help through counseling or seeking help from friends/family members who care about you.
– Trying new activities to occupy your time such as going for a walk on the Boston Commons or the Arboretum, taking up knitting with TV on in the background or just baking something.
If we know that our binge cycle starts for the same reason every time (stress), then it would be helpful if we could come up with a plan ahead of time about what we’re going to do when that situation arises. I have found that one way my patients have successfully managed their stress and improved their well being has been through journaling – whether they write in detail about their feelings and thoughts, jot down some ideas for positive self-talk, draw pictures reflecting how they feel inside themselves…whatever works best for you!
Reflecting on your story through journaling can be very helpful on the road to recovery. While journaling, it may be helpful to focus on mindfulness (paying attention to the present) as a way to assist yourself in building self-awareness and developing strategies for carrying out your goals.
We want to create a plan that includes coping skills for when we’re feeling stressed so that our binge habits don’t take over again. One way to do this would be by writing out examples of what things we might say or do if it happens (e.g., “I will call my friend,” “I’ll go for walk outside”).
3. Try Not to Isolate Yourself
Connection can be very important for those who are struggling with bingeing. Isolating yourself can make it harder for you to connect with others, which may in turn lead to more binging issues. It can be helpful to talk with someone who understands what you’re going through
Connecting with other individuals who are in the same boat as you can be a great way to get help and encouragement. One of the best ways to do this is by joining support groups or through group therapy.
There are many benefits of group therapy, especially when it comes to mental health. In a supportive environment with others who understand what you’re going through, you’ll find that your binges will decrease and self-esteem can grow into a strength. There’s also the benefit of having therapists around during tough moments who know how to support your recovery in healthy ways – not enabling or indulging in unhealthy habits like bingeing but rather being available as an outlet for these feelings without acting on them. Finally, there is the opportunity for new perspectives which may be different than your own – fresh thoughts and ideas about things that could help change for the better.
If you are looking for these resources in the Boston area, there are several treatment programs that could lead you in the right direction. These include Walden Behavioral Care, Renfrew Center, Monte Nido, Cambridge Eating Disorder Center, Harvard Medical School and others. You could also reach out to the National Eating Disorders Association to see if they know of any resources.
4. Sleep and Exercise Regularly
Both sleep and exercise have been shown to help reduce the urge to binge eat. This is because we are all less hungry when these things happen and our thoughts about food will be more clear.
Sleep deprivation can lead to increased food intake, which might trigger a relapse into binging. If you’re going without sleep it’s important that you don’t let yourself get too hungry before you eat nutritious food or take a nap so your body stays energized.
Exercise has also been linked with reduced Binge Eating Disorder. It reduces stress levels, distracts us from unhealthy impulses like taking drugs or drinking alcohol, and boosts self-esteem. Exercise can be anything like taking a walk outside, getting fresh air, or doing a chair exercise at your desk. Just make sure you are exercising without an unhealthy focus on your body or weight gain.
Diet is also key. If you’re not getting enough food with protein and fiber then it’s likely that you’ll feel deprived during times of hunger or frustration and subsequently resort back to binging for relief. Binges usually come from hunger or an emotional state of stress. Being nourished is crucial to lowering your chances of a binge occurring.
5.Practice Mindful Eating
Mindful eating is a meditative practice that can help you to slow down, be in touch with your body and senses, eat more consciously and slowly, and enjoy your food more.
Mindful eating is also a way of being aware of how much food you are actually eating–a step toward reducing overeating. A person who eats mindfully will usually feel satisfied after finishing the meal or at least recognize when they have had enough. This means less chance for bingeing.
Mindful eating has been proven to be an effective way of combatting overeating, and it’s also associated with improved mental health and greater levels of self-awareness. The goal for mindful eating should not be weight loss but instead achieving emotional balance by focusing on the present moment while being aware of their body’s physical needs such as hunger or fullness.
Mindfulness can be challenging to introduce into your daily routine, but there are some simple ways to slowly integrate it.
Start by asking yourself what you were feeling before or when the urge struck? Did you feel stressed and overwhelmed with work? Or maybe bored at home on a rainy day? If so, then make sure next time that you’re not just sitting around without anything to do because boredom can be a leading cause of overeating. Give yourself something productive to do like clean up your apartment or organize your closet.
Or did something happen in the past few hours that triggered this binge cycle for example being told “no” by someone who matters to me while I was trying hard not to take offense? This is an important moment where mindfulness practice could come in handy.
6. Work with a Professional
If you are struggling with bingeing or a different eating disorder, it is important to see a therapist. A mental health professional will be able to help you identify the patterns that may contribute to your behavior and teach skills on how to cope when these feelings come up.
For many people who struggle with bingeing, overeating can feel like a way of coping with difficult emotions such as stress or loneliness. Eating feels good during those moments–it numbs out bad feelings temporarily. But at some point, usually, after an hour or two has passed (but sometimes sooner), the food high wears off and then they’ll want more food again because their cravings have returned stronger than before!
It is also possible you have other undiagnosed mental health problems that are contributing to your eating disorder. Depending on the level of care you need, there are different options for treatment plans. Outpatient care is the most common and lowest level of care. Mental health professionals recommend weekly sessions in order to address your eating disorder symptoms and learn more about the condition’s impact on you.
The next level of care would be an intensive outpatient program. This means you would come in for a few hours or so every day, but still have time to go home and lead a more normal life. During that time you would participate in individual, family, or group therapy with eating disorder professionals. Intensive outpatient therapy may not be covered by your insurance so it’s important to check!
Day treatment is the third level of care. This program would mean coming in every day but only during the daytime hours – usually seven hours or so. These programs are often outpatient. Day treatment is more intense than an intensive outpatient program (you’ll go more days per week) and can be helpful if you want extra help around your eating disorder recovery, but don’t feel ready to totally give up your outside life just yet!
A residential facility is one of the highest levels of care. In Boston, there are many good options for these programs. In this type of setting you live on campus with other people who struggle with their body image, anorexia, bulimia or another food intake disorder; it may not sound very fun, but there’s no denying the value of living in a community with people who understand what you’re going through.
Bingeing is a serious condition that can lead to health problems, but it does not have to become something you live with for the rest of your life. These six tips will help you control your urges and put bingeing in its place. At Spur Counseling, we offer online outpatient services to clients on an individual basis – email us today if you are struggling with binge eating, anorexia, bulimia, or other eating disorders.
